


Riptide King

by My_Love_Letter



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Reader-Insert, Trans Male Character, basically I'm doing the ships I love the most, but if there's a request for a reader chapter I might indulge at a later point.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28106634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Love_Letter/pseuds/My_Love_Letter
Summary: You are a secret that must be kept secret, you thought to yourself, clinging to the fabric of your cloak as you gazed from up above your lighthouse. From what you could see, in the far distant shores of your deserted island, the twinkling lights of what was once abandoned long ago; the Gibraltar base of Overwatch.You took a sip of your blue mug, oolong tea’s warmth seeping into your body with each sip before you descended down the staircase of your lighthouse, being mindful to not look directly into the bright gaze of its beacon. Despite not wanting others to know about your existence, you couldn’t bear the thought of a ship sinking in these waters.You were the lighthouse keeper, the leader of a quiet life to others. You lived alone on your island and up until now you thought it should have stayed that way.
Relationships: Emily/Lena "Tracer" Oxton, Genji Shimada/Reader, Hanzo Shimada/Reader, Jesse McCree/Reader, Maximilien (Overwatch)/Reader, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Reader, Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison/Reader, Tekhartha Zenyatta/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 64





	1. A Troubling Start.

You lived in your own private little world, a small rocky but grassy island with its own cottage and lighthouse. This island once housed a great but small and moneyless community but fell apart due to the birth rate decline. The fisherman gathered everyone else into their little boats and left.

They took their livestock, children, elderly, even their pets before sailing off into the capitalist countries, people you considered family were never seen or heard from again. Some pleaded with you to go with them and wasted tears on you. You kissed them on the forehead and bid farewell. 

You watched as they all left. You watched as their houses fell apart with no one to take care of them. And you were all alone as you had your duty to the lighthouse and the secrets kept beneath. 

You kept good care of yourself over the years you have been alone. You have managed to survive all these years without the help of others. You have been alone for some time and typically, that was how you thought your life would stay. 

That is until you noticed in the distant horizon, through the lenses of your telescope, something odd. The far away distant shores of the Overwatch base, a former elite and prestigious U.N. military group, was occupied again. You’ve talked to the man who lived on the island still, a man who went by the name Winston and how he worked incredibly hard as a former member to contribute to society to repay his debt that he owed to his late father. You’ve talked to him through voice comms of your old radio, to which he graciously returned a thankful friendship over the years you two have known each other. It was then one day you asked him, “Winston, I have noticed the lights of your island.” 

“Oh?” he said with some hesitance. “Yes, what about them?” 

“They’re on. Is Overwatch together again?”

There was a brief moment of silence before he lets out a hearty but awkward chuckle, “Yes, we are. We actually performed quite the mission back in Paris a few weeks ago.” 

“Please be careful,” you requested politely. “I wouldn’t want to lose you as a friend.” 

“And you too,” he said. “The storms have been getting rough this season. Stay where it’s safe.” 

\--

Winston at some point in your early friendship, offered to rescue you from your island but you declined, not wanting him to know the truth about your existence. If someone from an organization as powerful as Overwatch knew, surely the world would know next. 

At your request, Winston sent over a package a year or two after you met him. It was a shield generator, to protect your lighthouse from the storms. It has protected you so far and the storms have left your precious home in shambles aside. When you walk out in daylight hours, there is nothing left but ruins of the buildings that once stood here. 

Everything was destroyed but your cottage and your lighthouse. Winston regularly sent you some supplies and in return you gave him your friendship. It was a good but slightly unfair trade off, but you managed to live with its terms. 

You had a peaceful life aside from the storms that is until today.

You stayed inside your cottage, quickly closing up the shabby windows to prevent howling winds from entering inside. It was dark and raining but you were kept dry and safe. You didn’t dare venture out into the outside that is until you hear many static filled cries from your radio. 

“Can’t-” cried a woman’s voice, someone you didn’t recognize. “I can’t navigate in this weather!” 

You hear Winston’s voice, usually kept strong and resolved, in a state of panic, “Lena! Where are you?!”

You look outside in the dark night that was lit up briefly from rumbling thunder in the sky. You press your face to the glass of the window to try and look again. In the far off distance you see Overwatch, but much closer to you was the dropship, confused in its trajectory. Strong winds pushed it to the side and it wasn’t going to reach the base. 

You ran back to your radio, pressing the one ear of the headphones to your face, “Winston!” 

“Not now!” he barked. 

“Who is-” another voice demands to know who you are, husky and gruff, clearly not pleased with the security breach that has occurred.

“No! Listen,” you demanded his acknowledgment. “My lights are on, tell your crew to come to my island.” There’s a hesitant silence before he tries to interject but you cut him off. “If you want your people to survive, they have to come to me.” You’ve seen these seas before and they are not forgiving. 

You break off in a sprint, dropping your blanket and knocking your mug off the table, you don’t dare look back to waste your time. You exit your cottage, protected from the weather from your shields before running past the doors of your connected lighthouse. You scurry up the stairs and view through the lenses of your telescope, before you manage to catch the lights of the dropship which was wearily droning in your direction. 

It doesn’t take long for the sound of the dropship to deafen the skies surrounding you. You clutched an electric lantern and you ran, guiding the ship into a flat grassy field. The ship lands and a latch opens, and some people come spilling out. 

A man wearing a mask and a leather jacket steps out and helps a woman bundled in blankets. She’s considerably much smaller than him and is wearing glasses. 

The pilot, you presume, is a young woman with a strong British accent you notice when she starts gushing her apologetic thanks to you. You raise your hand the best you can in the windy weather and usher her to stop speaking for a moment. 

“My cottage is not far from here,” you say with clarity. “If you want to come with me, please follow me.” 

The rest of the assembled team are now standing up, the pilot has closed the dropship for the time being and they follow you to the cottage. The walk back would have been quiet if it weren’t for the winds and the interrogation that the masked soldier was putting you through. 

“Who are you!?” he yelled above the winds. 

“I’m Winston’s friend!” You yell back. 

“What are you doing here? This island isn’t even on the map!” 

“I live here!” you say out loud breathlessly. “This island is my home!” 

He continues with more questions, but you opt to ignore them instead. Eventually they enter the shield’s domains and some collapse to the ground, exhausted. You urge them to stand back up and enter your small home, with promises of warm tea and cookies. 

Some look invigorated by your response and manage to get inside, others need the assistance of a helping hand to be carried inside. Once everyone entered, you closed the doors. 

You pointed to a corner of the room where your radio station was and offered the masked stranger to communicate to Winston through it. He accepted but hastily looked around his surroundings, most likely looking for escape routes. 

You brewed two teapots of tea and began handing them around to everyone. 

The pilot from before is already stuffing her face with the cookies you made yesterday, who quickly apologizes before complimenting your cooking. It has been a long time since you’ve shared food with anyone and the feeling warms you faster than your tea. You find out her name is Lena. 

The small and meek woman with glasses was very exhausted, with fresh bruises blooming on her face. You offer her a bag of frozen peas and a cup of tea. She is carrying very heavy equipment on her back that produces a small droid. Their names are Mei and Snowball.

There is a gentle giant amongst the group who is doing his best to stay small in your space as he was still fully armored. A handsome elder with a missing eye and his much smaller companion with a mighty beard. Reinhardt and Torbjörn.

There was a woman with an eyepatch, who was tending to the care of the others medically through her biotic equipment. She graciously accepts your cup of tea and commends you on its pleasant taste. Her name you find out is Ana. The masked soldier from before refuses your tea with a dismissive hand and you aren’t able to find out much about him aside from his alias: Soldier 76 which you find out from the one-eyed madam.

These were names you recognize from Winston’s stories but this is your first time ever meeting them. You look at the storm outside and sigh. You turn around to face them all and say, “That storm is going to last a few hours. You’re welcome to stay here until you’re able to leave.” 

Soldier 76’s voice gets your attention quickly, as he stood there with his arms crossed. “This section of the ocean was supposed to stay clear of civilians. Who are you and what are you doing here?” 

The question grabs everyone’s attention rather quickly before you can muster up a reasonable response. You take a sip of tea in a fake, calm facade before you respond back, “I have lived here before Overwatch’s glory years. This is my home. As for my name, I’d rather not tell. I’m sorry.” 

The answer displeased the soldier and it looked like he was about to demand more answers before Ana raised her hand delicately, its back to Soldier 76’s chest before it returned to her side, dismissing him. “I’ve heard Winston talk of you at times,” she said with a smirk. “I didn’t think he was telling the truth to be honest, when he told us the story of a lighthouse keeper befriending him.” She takes a sip of her tea, “Dear, you’ve helped us by allowing us to stay here. Thank you.” 

When she thanks you, the others return their gratitude, including the stern soldier. You blush and scratch the back of your neck, feeling underdressed to meet and house so many strangers. 

“Just a moment,” you make your way over to the kitchen and check your pantry before popping your head around the corner to ask, “Would you guys like some mac n cheese?” 

\--  
As you cooked and talked to the younger agents, the elders took their time talking to Winston about needing a supply drop to the island to repair the dropship before they could safely return. It wasn’t an abundant variety of food that you would have liked to prepare for your guests but they were thankful anyway. 

You prepared a sleeping arrangement for them after they discarded their armor and weapons and apologized for the lack of space again. Since they didn’t know you and they were still in the end an illegal organization, they decided amongst themselves to sleep in shifts. 

You looked at them one last time before ascending up the stairs and into your room. When you turned to lock your door, you hesitated. You didn’t clean up your cottage, you thought to yourself. It wasn’t that horrible of a mess but it was the small details that worried you. 

Things such as pictures from over a hundred years ago of this sleepy town and the people that lived here. You just hoped that none of the agents inside would recognize you amongst them.


	2. A warm morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey i'm not sure what direction im gonna be going in for this story but i hope you enjoy!

The next morning when you rise from your bed, you’re reminded that you have guests by the sounds of clutter clinking downstairs. You dress into something more appropriate than sleepwear and descend the stairs. 

They’re up rather early, at 6 am, some alert and have already helped themselves to a cup of your coffee while others are still trying to wake up. You try to talk with them before finding out that despite the weather clearing overnight, they’re stuck here on this island with you until Winstron is able to send them another package of resources to fix their dropship. 

You find yourself a bit embarrassed over the lack of entertainment you’re able to provide them, but they’re much more curious about you than imagined. 

“What’s your name?” Lena asks as she passes you a cup of tea to you. 

“That I can’t tell,” you said with a smile, pressing your index finger to your lips cheekily before taking a sip of your tea.

The lass whined playfully before the Mei speaks up, “Is there a name we can address you by? I don’t want to be rude and call you something you dislike.”

Before you can answer, Lena immediately gives you suggestions for a nickname, dubbing you a temporary member of Overwatch. Soldier 76’s head turns in your direction before Lena can correct herself in saying it was all just for fun. 

“Cedric?” she tries. You scoff playfully and shake your head. She tries again, “Davy?” 

“No thank you,” you laugh. 

“Marin?” says a voice through the radio, it’s someone you don’t recognize. You assume Soldier forgot to turn off your radio when he last used it this morning. It sounds robotic and playful in nature. 

“I believe that’s a girl’s name,” Mei speaks up before shying away back into her corner. 

“Marino!” The voice suddenly blurts back, earning a giggly laugh from Lena.

You try to think hard, for their sake, so they would feel more comfortable around you. You gaze at Soldier 76 before diverting your eyes back to Lena and Mei, but before you are able to speak more about this topic, the dwarf engineer suddenly asked, “Aye, then what do you do around here? I don’t like thinking about how you managed to live on this island all by yourself in the middle of nowhere.” 

You bit the inside of your cheek and quickly told them, “Back when this island was inhabited, I was the self-proclaimed lifeguard.” 

“Lifeguard?” Lena asks as her eyes lit up with a curious light. 

“I used to act as a lifeguard on the island and frequently rescued people from the riptide currents of this island,” you respond. You point behind Lena at a window that showed a far away secret beach. “That spot by the beach was very popular for events for the locals, but the riptide would carry their children away. I decided to live nearby so I could watch the waters in case anyone tried to swim there.” 

“That’s very brave of you my dear!” Reinhardt boasts, raising his mug of coffee in your direction with a smile. He presses the cup to his lips and drinks heartily to your displeasure as he pours himself another serving of your precious coffee. You blush at his words but clutch your hands together at the sudden praise. 

“Does that mean you have a boat somewhere? Could you take us out on a joyride?” Lena asks cheekily to Mei’s shy protests, not wanting to burden you. 

You hum in though, thinking of a suitable answer before responding honestly, “When the people of this island left, I offered them my boat so they may leave. There was a year of turbulent storms that endangered everyone and they had to leave urgently.”

That answer doesn’t sate their curiosity and a quiet but observant Ana in the corner then asks, “So dear, why did you stay here when everyone left?”

The skilled agents seem to pause simultaneously, waiting for your answer. Your shoulders stiffen for a moment but you try to coolly play it off, taking a sip of your morning elixir, “Someone had to tend to the lighthouse. They were going to come back for me but never did.”  
\--

Hours have passed and with the skies cloudy, Winston took the time to quickly send over a flying drone with cargo of supplies and overnight clothes for the team. The dropship came with a repair droid and the droid got to work, repairing the ship to be used for later this week. 

The cargo came with a second shield generator and tents and sleeping bags for the team to use. You made a mental note to send Winston some of your handmade peanut butter cookies as thanks. It also came with additional food and other necessities you needed; a bountiful load of groceries that would satisfy you for the rest of the month and more but you laughed quietly to yourself in regards of not knowing exactly how much your new friends liked to eat.

The team was idle, relaxing however they could with your small and rustic home. Mei and Reinhardt were tending to their heavy equipment with help of the knowledgeable and small engineer. Lena and Ana insisted on cooking and cleaning for you to your displeasure (you tried to hide items from your past the best you could discreetly without gaining their attention.) Soldier 76, who you presume is one of the leaders of Overwatch is stuck at your radio station, but used his more modern device to talk back and forth between members. He was still giving out orders for the people at base to follow, despite being an active agent himself. You assume that because he is an active agent that Overwatch must have a lack of members.

Despite wanting company for so long, you find yourself puzzled and unsure on how to fit in on your own home. Their technology was so advanced you didn’t know how to operate it, even going as far as to ask if Mei’s equipment was magic to which she laughed and did her best to explain in small doses what it can do. After making a delicious soup, Ana was preparing a first aid kit for you after she discovered you didn’t have one. Your cheeks went red as she scolded you for not being prepared. 

Ana and Mei stayed behind while you gave the others a tour of your island. You escorted them down a rocky path back to what was once a bustling village. Only the echoes of the wind howled between the broken gaps of the building, many things were left behind; as danger only grew stronger that year when everyone was forced to leave. 

You walked into what was once the ruins of Farmer Herbert and his farm. You have used his farmlands to cultivate your own crops but with no animals, there was no meat or dairy on your little island to eat from. You relied on Winston’s gracious supply drops and found yourself worried when earlier this year, the drops became scarce.

“Do you sleep here?” Lena asked curiously, peeking her head inside the dilapidated barn and farmhouse in a blur unexplained to you.

“No dear, the crops are protected by another generator but I’m afraid that the house and barn have been taken over by mice.” You cover your smile as you laugh at her shriek as one slithers by. 

You show them the old town that used to live here on the island, a once prosperous fishing town that went to ruin after horrendous sea storms that drove the locals away. A library filled with musty and old books, to which you explain the book collection back at the lighthouse were the ones you were most delighted by. Fictional stories filled with mystery, romance, and danger. You hear a hearty chuckle from Ana through their communicators and she offers to let you join their book club back at the base. The feeling of being invited as a member of a club again brings back feelings of warmth into you and your body, you smile unknowingly as you immediately agree to join. 

Eventually you bring them the group of Lena, Torbjorn, Reinhardt, and Soldier 76 to the town square. “There was once a thriving market here,” you explain to them. “But that was a long time ago.” you climb a nearby apple tree and pluck apples from it, gathering them into your basket as you foraged. You offer the heroes the apples as a snack as you let them wander around. 

Soldier 76 refuses your apple but offers to carry your basket back, so you fill it with as many apples as you can carry and promise him the reward of your rustic apple pie. The soldier has chuckles and pats your shoulders as he walks by you, catching up to the others. 

You stand in the middle of town square and walk up to the broken statue of a mermaid. You sigh wistfully, examining the damage. The tail and head were broken and separated from the statue itself. It must have been damaged in the recent storm, you think to yourself. You stare at where the head would be and pray. The prayer is quick and you run back to the group who are waiting for your next directions in gathering food. You have some fish traps waiting by the pier and swiftly guide them there next. 

The prayer was for the safety of the group that entered the island and not for your own safety.  
\--  
When you all return, the team got a time estimate as to when the repairs would be done. 2 days including today. You tell yourself that it’s a good thing they’re leaving but the company after so long was nicer than you imagined. 

They had strong, helping hands, and voices filled your lighthouse that night’s dinner, shunning silence for the first time in decades. They told you brave stories of conquest, heroism, and even moments of defeat were shared amongst members who were met with comfort. 

That night kept you restless as you thought and dreamed of the many things they told you about. Reinhardt’s days as a Crusader, Lena’s fights against omnic racism, Mei’s somber tale of waking up for the first time in decades made you feel alive, rejuvenated by their warmth and tales. 

You wanted to so badly join them, you realize as you lie awake that night. Paralyzed by how dull your life had been for so long to be met with such lustrous and shining heroes that fell upon your doorstep. 

But how would they react to your secrets? Would they be kind to you just as they were moments ago? 

You undress and stand naked in your room, locked by a metal key. You watch from your windows, a turbulent sea and howling winds don’t leave you in silence, but flood your senses with the sounds and smells of the ocean. You walk to your mirror and trace the tattoos that were on your body. Black ink markings spread from your neck and to your feet. 

These weren’t just ordinary tattoos, these were curses. 

You sigh a shaky breath and rub the back of your neck, warming your skin with your touch as you look at yourself with heavy eyes. You want to go with your new friends to the island they call home, Overwatch Base, but how could you join if you couldn’t explain the curse to them? You believed all of the fantastical stories and you only had one to share. Seeing is believing, you think to yourself. You dress into comfortable nightwear but don’t go to sleep just yet, clutching the trident necklace around your neck tightly as it glowed a cool blue.


End file.
